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  Praise for Abby Brooks

  “Abby Brooks is a wizard with Beyond Us—entertaining and pure enjoyment!”

  Adriana Locke—USA Today and Washington Post bestselling author

  “A masterful blend of joy and angst.

  Praise for Abby Brooks

  “With just the perfect amount of angst and remarkable character development, Abby Brooks has crafted a masterpiece…”

  Praise for BEYOND WORDS

  "Once again Abby Brooks creates a world filled with beautifully written characters that you cannot help but fall in love with.”

  Praise for BEYOND LOVE

  "A lovely story of growing beyond your past, taking control of your life, and allowing yourself to be loved for the person you are."

  Melanie Moreland—New York Times Bestselling Author, in praise of Wounded

  “Abby Brooks writes books that draw readers right into the story. When you read about her characters, you want them to be your friends.”

  Praise for Abby Brooks

  1130 Free Spirit Way

  A Cherry Falls Romance

  Abby Brooks

  Copyright © 2021 by Abby Brooks

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  WILDROSE LANDING

  Fearless

  Shameless

  Reckless

  THE HUTTON FAMILY

  Beyond Words

  Beyond Love

  Beyond Now

  Beyond Us

  Beyond Dreams

  It’s Definitely Not You - Joe’s story

  The Hutton Family Series - Part 1

  The Hutton Family Series - Part 2

  A BROOKSIDE ROMANCE

  Wounded

  Inevitably You

  This Is Why

  Along Comes Trouble

  Come Home To Me

  A Brookside Romance - the Complete Series

  WILDE BOYS WITH WILL WRIGHT

  Taking What Is Mine

  Claiming What Is Mine

  Protecting What Is Mine

  Defending What Is Mine

  Wilde

  THE MOORE FAMILY

  Finding Bliss

  Faking Bliss

  Instant Bliss

  Enemies-to-Bliss

  THE LONDON SISTERS

  Love Is Crazy (Dakota & Dominic)

  Love Is Beautiful (Chelsea & Max)

  Love Is Everything (Maya & Hudson)

  The London Sisters - the Complete Series

  IMMORTAL MEMORIES

  Immortal Memories Part 1

  Immortal Memories Part 2

  AS WREN WILLIAMS

  Bad, Bad Prince

  Woodsman

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  Also by Abby Brooks

  Connect With Abby Brooks

  Chapter One

  Garret

  Breaking glass shattered the upbeat atmosphere at The Reef Beach Bar. Sound and conversation died away as all eyes turned to Penelope Gardner, the waitress jumping up and down, waving her hands while shrieking excitement or fear, I couldn’t tell which.

  “Are you kidding me right now?” Her voice threatened to pierce my eardrums as she untied her apron and dropped it beside the tray of broken glasses and spilled drinks at her feet. “I can’t believe this is happening!”

  Daphne Dawes, the owner of the bar and someone I considered a friend, appeared at Penelope’s side. “Pen! What’s going on? Are you all right?”

  “All right? I’m…” Penelope shook her head, eyes wide. “I am so beyond all right.” A smile lit her face as she grabbed Daphne’s shoulders. “With all the respect in the world because you’re a lovely person and a lot of fun…but I quit so hard you’ll never see me again.”

  “You quit?” Daphne ran a hand through her dirty blonde hair. The bar was full and as far as I could tell, Penelope was the only server she had working tonight. Daph would be screwed.

  “My husband got a movie deal!” Penelope waved her phone in the air for all of us to see. “We’re gonna be so rich! I don’t need this stupid job dealing with all these stupid people anymore.” She turned to Daphne with an apologetic grimace. “Again, no offense.” Then, as if she suddenly remembered Cherry Falls was a small town and she knew each and every one of us personally, she glanced around the bar. “And no offense to any of you, either. It’s just…” She clasped her hands and wiggled in place before dashing out the door to leave us all staring in her wake. A woman I didn’t recognize stepped in as Penelope left, pulling up short when everyone’s attention shifted from the waitress to her. As I stared at the new arrival with the rest of the bar, I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was oddly familiar… even though I was sure we’d never met.

  My brother Grayson took a swig of his beer, staring grumpily at the door. “That’s not something you see every day.”

  “A stranger in Cherry Falls?” I asked as the woman scanned the place, obviously looking for someone.

  My other brother Grant smirked as he slung an arm over the back of his chair. “Right. Because Goldie definitely grew up here.” His wife had swooped into town not too long ago and stolen his heart. They’d been disgustingly happy ever since. And I was glad for them, but in no hurry to follow suit. My single life and I got along just fine, thank you very much.

  Rolling my eyes, I swiped my beer off the table. “Thanks for taking things literally and ruining a perfectly good joke.”

  “I worry for you if you think that was a perfectly good joke.” Grayson shook his head as he sat back, looking up when Daphne sank into the seat beside me, sighing heavily.

  Her sand-colored hair brushed my face as she dropped her head onto my shoulder with a groan. We’d been friends from the moment she opened this place. My buddy Charlie and I were her first customers and the three of us spent most of that night chatting.

  Daphne Dawes was bright. Easygoing. Being around her was so natural you almost forgot she was beautiful.

  Almost.

  There was no getting around those sapphire eyes and bow-shaped lips, especially when she smiled. She had the kind of smile that brightened a room, and a laugh that made it impossible not to join in.

  “I’m trying to be happy for Penelope.” Daphne lifted her head from my shoulder. “But can you believe she quit when every other waitress I have called off? I am so screwed.”

  The strange woman approached with a grin so familiar, I wondered if I’d had more to drink than I thought. I knew we’d never met, but everything about her felt like I’d known her for years. Daphne stared at the new arrival. For a second, confusion clouded her face, then she launched out of her chair to wrap the stranger in a hug. “Simone! What are you doing here?” She pulled away beaming, then turned to us. “This is my little sister, Simone. This is Garret, Grant, and Grayson Blake. They own Blake Brothers Auto Repair and Garret is the only reason I didn’t close this place down in the month or two after I opened it.”

  It was as easy to tell the two were sisters as it was seeing the relationship between my brothers and me. Where we all shared the same dark hair and eyes, Simone and Daphne could have been twins, if it wasn’t
for the age difference. They had the same blonde hair, blue eyes, and easy smile, though the new arrival barely looked old enough to order a drink.

  Simone lifted a hand and twiddled her fingers. “It’s so nice to meet you all.” She turned to her sister and lowered her voice. “Do you have a minute?”

  “I really don’t.” Daphne grimaced. “I have to clean up that giant mess Penelope made, then go check on the customers, and apparently I’ll be closing alone tonight. Unless…do you…?” She cocked her head. “Can you stay? I could really use some help.”

  Simone grimaced, her eyes darting quickly to mine and back again. “I can’t. I have…stuff. But maybe I can stop by your place tomorrow? There’s something I really need to talk to you about.”

  Daphne sighed, smiling sadly. “I figured it was a long shot, but you can’t blame me for asking. Why don’t you stop by in the afternoon? I should be up and moving by then.”

  Her sister beamed, wrapped her in a hug, then bolted.

  Daphne watched her go before turning to me with a wry laugh. “I guarantee she’s going to ask for a giant favor that makes my life difficult and saves her from something she should have seen coming a long time ago.” She stood, raking her hands into her hair as she took in the crowded bar. “I’ll leave you guys to your night. Looks like I have a lot of work to do.”

  “I’ll help.” The words were out of my mouth before I had time to know they were coming. My brothers looked at me in shock as Daphne held up her hands.

  “That would be amazing, but I can’t ask you to do that.”

  “You didn’t ask. I offered.”

  “Do you have any experience serving? Or tending bar?”

  “Not really, but I’m sure people will understand. They all saw what happened just like we did.” I waved a hand to indicate the rest of the customers, most of which were staring this way.

  She was going to turn me down. I could see it on her face. And honestly it would be a huge relief because I had to work in the morning and closing down a bar would keep me out late. But then she glanced around, biting her lip as she counted the filled tables. “You know what? I’d really appreciate that. I kind of doubt I can do this on my own and not lose my mind.”

  “Okay, then.” I slapped my thighs as my brothers exchanged knowing glances. “How about I’ll clean up the drinks Penelope spilled while you check on the tables and we’ll make it up as we go from there.”

  “It’s as good a place to start as any.”

  The night passed in a blur of drink orders, good music, and the kind of ridiculous conversations that happen when a mechanic pretends to be a server. By the time the last customer was out the door, I was exhausted. Exhilarated. And oddly glad I’d offered to help.

  “Here.” Daphne shoved a drink into my hand. “I think you’ve earned this.”

  I raised the glass and clinked it against hers. “If that’s what you do every day, then I know you’ve earned this.”

  We took a drink. Then another. Then finished cleaning while laughing and joking. I did my best impression of Tom Cruise in Cocktail and Daphne looked at me like I was crazy. I promised I’d never let her live it down that she’d never seen the classic from the eighties.

  “I’m so glad to have a friend like you,” she said as we stepped into the night. She slipped a key into the lock and gave the door a tug, then turned to me. “You saw how many people I had in there tonight and you saw how many stepped up to offer help. Hell, even my own sister bailed as soon as she knew I was gonna ask something of her.”

  “I know you’d do the same for me.” I shrugged off the compliment and grinned. The moon hung high in the sky, mostly obscured by clouds as we walked toward her car, our footsteps echoing through the silent night. Humidity dripped from the air, clinging to our clothes, our skin.

  “This is me,” she said when we came to a stop in front of the only vehicle in the parking lot that wasn’t mine.

  “You don’t say.” I ran a hand over my mouth to erase a smile.

  Daphne threw her arms around me, hugging me tight. “Thank you, Gare. I really, really appreciate what you did for me tonight.” Her voice whispered past my shoulder and I held her close, one hand trailing down her spine to rest against her lower back.

  How had I never noticed her perfect curves before?

  How had I never noticed how nicely she fit into my arms?

  How had I not noticed how good she smelled? Like lime and coconut and a moonlit walk on the beach?

  Daphne pulled back, her eyes searching mine. Her lips parted. It looked like she wanted to say something and stopped herself. But then, out of the blue, and for no reason and every reason, I slid my fingers into her hair, tilted her face toward mine, and kissed her.

  Her hands slid up my back, nails digging into my shoulders as her lips parted. Her breasts pressed against me as our bodies collided. This moment, this stolen moment…the two of us together, wrapped in the quiet of night, alone except for the stars, the moon, and the hint of fog descending on the parking lot.

  One raindrop.

  Two.

  And then the sky opened up and drenched us.

  Daphne stepped out of my arms, laughing as rain plastered her hair to her face. A grin tugged at her lips, still swollen from our kiss. “Oh!”

  She held out her hands, laughing, her eyes dancing with mine, water splattering against her palms.

  “I guess we should…” She stepped towards her car.

  “Yeah…” I nodded as I stepped toward mine.

  “Thank you again.” She reached for her door, eyes widening as lightning streaked across the sky, a flash of brilliant light followed by inky black.

  “Happy to help.” I watched as she climbed into her car, still laughing as she shooed me towards mine, then sprinted across the parking lot, fishing in my pocket for my keys as rain dripped into my eyes.

  Chapter Two

  Daphne

  The doorbell startled me out of my ‘what the hell happened last night’ cleaning frenzy. I put down my duster and ran a hand through my hair before racing to see who was here. There was a split second of ‘What if it’s Garret?’ before I yanked the door open and found Simone standing there with a too-sweet smile on her face.

  “Hey!” she chirped, raising a cardboard cup. “I brought you a chai tea latte.”

  If her showing up at the bar wasn’t enough to convince me my sister wanted something, then today’s arrival sealed the deal. If Simone Dawes came bearing gifts, they had conditions attached. She wasn’t a bad person, she was just very good at getting what she wanted, particularly from me.

  I pulled open the door and gestured for her to enter. “Come on in and tell me what’s going on.”

  “What’s going…does something need to be going on for me to visit my sister?” she asked as she stepped inside.

  I cupped her cheeks and gave one a pat. “No. No it doesn’t, but something tells me you’ve found yourself in a pickle and I’m your ticket out.”

  I loved my little sister and would do anything for her, a fact she only exploited every couple years or so. Her gaze bounced around my living room as she handed over the latte. “I’m seeing the evidence of an apartment-sized stress clean. Do you need to talk?”

  What I needed was to go back in time and unkiss Garret Blake. What was I thinking? How could I let that happen? I loved my single life just as much as I loved our perfectly platonic friendship. So what if the kiss was electrifying? So what if standing in the rain in the arms of a handsome man was everything romcoms wanted you to believe it’d be?

  Garret and me? We were friends. The end.

  Lifting the cup to my lips, I shrugged. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Simone didn’t look convinced. “The scent of lemon-based cleaner would say otherwise, but if you’re not ready to talk, then I won’t push.” She smiled. “But when you are ready to talk, I’m here, happy to listen.”

  “Speaking of listening…what’s up, Butter
cup?”

  She flopped onto the couch, folded her legs underneath her, and clutched a pillow to her stomach. “I kind of have a big favor to ask you. And I know it’s huge and I promise I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t completely out of options.”

  I sat beside her, inhaling the scent of chai tea as I waited for her to drop her bomb. Simone still had a lot of growing up to do and our parents weren’t exactly the best role models. Ten years after they’d put the entirety of their limited parenting energy into me, she appeared on the scene. They gave it solid effort for a few more years, but by the time I was fifteen and she was five, I was basically the only stability in Simone’s life as our parents flitted from experience to experience, leaving us to figure things out on our own.

  “You’re not pregnant, are you?”

  Her jaw dropped. “What? God no! I’m not even dating anyone.” She leaned close with a mischievous smile. “Though I’d be happy to hang out with any of the hunks you were sitting with last night. Tall, dark, and handsome times three.” She sat back, fanning her face. “And that one next to you? Shit, Daph, he’s something.”

  She was right. Garret Blake was kind and driven and just as funny as he was practical. But she wasn’t talking about that. Simone only saw his mocha eyes and rugged jawline. The dark hair swooping perfectly across his forehead and a set of broad shoulders that were perfect to lean into. As if that wasn’t enough, he was an amazing kisser who turned my body into molten gold with just one touch.